I see a lot of postings on this thread predicting that an equal or superior product (k6) will not sell because of brand recognition for Intel. Perhaps. However, have any of you considered the fact that any company can build brand recognition with the proper marketing campaign? Before the multimillion dollar Intel Inside campaign, nobody has heard of Intel. They know words like Apple and IBM compatible. How many of you seriously knew what an 8088 was (at the time). How many general consumers do you think know what it is? To prove my point, if you ask an average joe about an 8088, he won't know what it is because it is "pre-Intel Inside." I can still remember the days when I would have to explain to friends what a 286 was. My point is that the name recognition that Intel enjoys was not always there. In fact, it is relatively new. What makes you so sure that AMD can not build brand recognition? The campaign has already begun.
You must also realize that one of two major hurdles has been cleared by AMD - successfully implementing a technologically relevant microprocessor. In my opinion, this hurdle is the more difficult one. Given the highly competitive nature of technology, missing the specifications by a small amount has serious consequences. However, conducting an "AMD Inside" campaign requires nothing more than money and a clever firm. Unlike technology, even if an ad misses its calculated target market, its efficacy is not zero. People will still hear the name. Once AMD gains recognition and it processor receives good reviews (let's assume alright?) there is a strong possiblity that returns won't be what you are used to.
It is always difficult to see the future. However, reading some of the posts here suggests that some people are closing their eyes to it. People would never have predicted the debacle of IBM and Digital, both much stronger in their heyday than Intel today. Who would have predicted that a manufacturer of a part inside a computer would become more relavant than the manufacturer of the computer itself. All I am saying is you must consider the possibility (some of you are not). Just my opinion. It goes against popular opinion here so if you feel the need to flame, I understand. |
